The Melody of the Stars
by Scorch1262
Summary: Molly knew she was mingling with magical creatures ever since the little orange Sprite came crying to her; the Harvest Goddess had a monumental task for her. She was okay with the idea, after a few days of thinking. What she didn't expect, however, is to become this close to anyone else in the magical world.
1. A Leap of Faith

**A/N: I've been playing a bit too much of AP, and have been obsessing over Wizard... this is pretty much the result of all of it. It's gonna be long, and often boring, since I love love love detail. I hope that doesn't turn people off the the story...**

***I don't own Harvest Moon or its characters.**

_The chipped hooves of an old grey mare stomped down into the muddy country road, plodding along at the gentle urges of Cain, at the head of the rickety old cart. The brown haired rancher twisted in his seat, eyeing up the young female who lounged on the dry hay; this was the farmer that Hamilton had been talking about for the last few weeks._

_"So, uh… what made you want to take on the old farm, miss?" Cain prodded gently, wanting to get to know the young woman before the busy lifestyle of a farmer set in and claimed her free time; the people before her who had tried to take over the farm had given up before a season passed because of how much work the land needed._

_"I was sorta just… drawn here," The auburn haired girl tilted her head back to glance up at him with burgundy eyes, grinning toothily as she shrugged, "Don't know how to explain it any differently." She chuckled amusedly and stared up at the cloudy sky, a peaceful expression on her innocent face._

_Cain nodded thoughtfully and urged the old mare further down the road, quietly thinking about the small island's condition. Life on Castanet was never really all that grand; the villagers made a simple living off of their goods, but never really could get ahead. Recently, though, things had taken a turn for the worse, and now the islanders had to struggle to survive. This girl would have to work hard to make it on this island. The rancher cleared his throat and turned back to the girl again, "I never did catch your name, miss."_

_"Molly," She answered simply, her eyes following something that the large man couldn't see. She smiled blissfully and closed her eyes, enjoying the rest of the bumpy ride to her new farm in silence. _

~**~Molly PoV~**~

Molly groaned quietly as a warm hand pressed against her shoulder, rousing her from what was a very restful nap; the warm spring sun certainly negated her sleeping issues. She opened her eyes to find the burly rancher's face just a few inches from hers, calling her name gruffly as he shook her. She groaned again and protested against his attempts, "Hey there, now. I'm up, I'm up."

Cain laughed and hopped off the back of the cart, extending his hand to her as the dust settled around his feet. She chuckled at his light-heartedness and pushed herself out of the hay, the little orange sprite who had befriended her floating around behind the rancher. She grinned and took the man's hand, using it to help her quickly jump from the cart.

Glancing around, she realized that we were on her new farmland. Now, admittedly, she wasn't thrilled with what she saw; the outlying fields looked dry and dismal, the chicken coop and barn looked run down and missing boards, and she swore her house looked like it was missing part of the roof. Finn, the little orange guy, piped up, "Geeze. This place looks horrible…"

She snickered and turned to Cain, not answering the sprite for fear of looking insane, "Well… it'll need a lot of work, but I can make this work," she grinned and nodded firmly, fairly optimistic despite the farm's run down state, "I can buy animals from you, yeah?"

Cain blinked in surprise, as if he didn't expect her reaction. It took him a moment before he nodded slowly, "Uh.. yeah. Why don't you come by later, and I'll have somethin' ready for you." She grinned broadly and nodded, "Well," he continued as he climbed back into his cart, "I need to get back to the 'stead. Good luck, Molly… you'll need it."

"Heh," She breathed, a playful smirk plastered across her face, "I'm sure. I'll make sure to swing by sometime later." She smiled and bounced on her toes, waving to the retreating cart; she watched it disappear down the narrow path the lead further away from the town. At this point, Finn bopped her on the head, shrieking loudly to get her attention.

"Molly! We reaaaaalllly need to see the Harvest Goddess now! It's super important!" The little guy bounced around in the air, his childish whining bringing a smile to Molly's face. The Sprite wrung his hands together nervously, his feet wiggling in the air, "P-Please?"

"Oh, don't you worry yourself, Finn. I'll get to it today, I promise!" Molly smiled softly and patted the Sprite on the head when he whimpered, "It might seem a bit strange to everyone if I go off without getting settled in first. You know I don't like questions." The farm girl snickered and rolled her eyes, really just finding any excuse to delay meeting the Goddess. It wasn't that she was afraid or anything, but… you know, meeting a Goddess was pretty high up on the Strange-O-Meter.

When Finn whimpered and nodded, Molly grinned and turned on her heel, examining her dinky little farm once more. With a sullen sigh, she gingerly pushed open the door to her new home, hoping dearly that it was a bit more stable than it looked. With a quick glance around the room, Molly acclimated herself to her new surroundings; not like there was much to remember, anyway.

With a quick shrug of her shoulder, she slid her rucksack down into the crook of her arm, almost instantly swinging it towards the dusty, barren bed. She wrinkled her nose when a dust cloud billowed up on impact. "Gross…" She murmured, mentally making note to give the mattress a thorough cleaning. She slumped down onto the bed, ignoring the mess, and began to unpack her single bag, making quick work of putting her clothes into the rickety little dresser beside her bed.

Noticing the tool box, Molly slunk over to investigate, smiling when she opened it; though not in good shape, someone was kind enough to leave her with a few vital tools, and a small supply of turnip seeds. Snatching her rucksack again, she deftly through the old watering can inside, hoisting the hoe onto her shoulder and whistling to the Sprite.

"There looked like there was a few crops out there, Finn," she stated as she gestured for him to follow, "After I take care of them, we can go see the Goddess!" That got his attention. Molly snickered and shut the door after him, trotting over to the small crop field just south of her home; there wasn't much here, but in all honesty, she hadn't expected anything at all, let alone a row of tulips and turnips, the latter of which were already ready for harvest.

The Sprite settled himself on top of a post as Molly got to work, gingerly digging up the turnip plants and placing them each in the shipping bin just beside the field. Smiling at her first bit of progress, Molly dunked her watering can into the small well, filling it up to the brim; not that it looked like it could hold all that much anyway. With precision care, she watered the small row of turnips and then placed the can on the dirt, taking her time to plant a few new turnip seeds where the others had grown. She watered them carefully.  
Brushing off her pants, she turned to the Sprite and grinned, "Ready?" Instantly, the small creature zipped around her head, squealing happily. She rolled her eyes and set her watering can against the well, wedging the unused hoe under a fence post to keep it from falling. She glanced up and rolled her eyes at Finn's excitement before she trotted towards the northern side of her farm, where a rough road lead up a small mountain pass.

Finn yammered on excitedly about the Goddess as Molly listened silently, smiling at the love and devotion the little guy had for her. Her smile faded, however, as they approached the bridge; a young man stood on one side, looking dejectedly at the mangled mess that was once a bridge. Seeing her approach, the man smile apologetically and shrugged.

"Sorry - …" He paused there, and Molly stated her name, "Molly. The last storm we had managed to snap the bridge up fairly good… I'd get on repairing it, but I'm pretty sure the Mayor took my tool box. I'm sorry, you won't be able to cross until I can finish fixin' it, and there's no other way into the mining district… Oh. I'm Bo, by the way!"

Finn squeaked in horror and clung to Molly's shoulder as she waved Bo's apology off; it wasn't his fault, after all. As she turned to leave, Molly heard the little Sprite's sob and sighed… Well… it wouldn't be easy- or safe- but Molly really didn't like to see Finn upset. She turned back to the bridge and, satisfied that Bo wasn't looking, broke into a sprint. As she approached the destroyed passage, Bo yelled at her to stop; to no avail.

Molly leaped into the air, fingers grasping at the wind. Misjudging the gap, she fell short, but somehow managed to grab ahold of one of the hanging boards. Hiding her fear from Bo and the Sprite, she clambered back up onto the solid earth, not turning back for fear of Bo's expression. She laughed loudly as she loped into the mining district, Finn clinging rather fearfully to her ear… poor thing.  
She reached up to pat the Sprite gently, not really paying attention to where she was going; which is why, of course, the big white dog managed to knock her to the ground, to better assault her with sniffs and licks. Molly gasped and, having been caught unaware, instantly "fought" back, trying to push the giant off.

As quickly as he came, the dog left, heaved away by a rather large and burly man, "Boss!" The man shouted, "BOSS! You giant brute! Leave her be!" The man twisted and chucked an old ball into the air, whistling shrilly as he did. Boss, Molly's "attacker" bounded after it, barking wildly. The man turned back and grabbed Molly around the shoulders, hefting her back onto her feet.

He chuckled sheepishly and shook his head, offering out a hand, which Molly shook politely, "Sorry 'bout Boss. With the bridge being out this morning, we weren't expecting anyone and he sure loves new faces. Er… how did you get over here?"

"I, er…" Molly let out a breathy laugh, blushing lightly, "I jumped across, actually… I don't think Bo very much appreciated that, to tell the truth." Molly looked up at the man and laughed again. He was silent for a few moments before bursting into a fit of loud laughter.  
"No. No I don't think he did." The man was almost doubled over by this point, earning a grin from Molly. "He ain't usually one for flashy stunts or anything. I'm Dale! You must be Molly." Molly blinked. She had only met Cain and Bo so far… and neither of them could have gotten up here. "Mayor Hamilton was kinda excited when you took up the farm. He hasn't stopped talking about you. Oh, hey listen. I was gonna give you an old axe to help ya out, but since you jumped here, that wouldn't be very smart. Come back up here when the bridge is finished and I'll help ya."

Molly smiled and bowed her head to Dale, truly grateful for the help. Then it hit her; she had no idea where the Goddess spring was. Perhaps… "Hey, Dale? Do you know where the Goddess spring is? I heard it's supposed to be beautiful."

"Oh yeah, just up the pass here. It used to be gorgeous, yeah, but it's lookin' rundown nowadays. Still worth a visit though! When you get done there, ya might want to meet Ramsey and Barbara! They've been excited to meet you!"

Molly smiled, nodded, and waved to Dale and Boss, who was currently chewing on his ball. Turning on her heel, she loped up the pass, Finn clinging to her ear still. She rolled her eyes as the Sprite literally vibrated with excitement. Molly paused at the clearing in the trees, certain that this was the way. She took a deep breath and entered the passage, not knowing what to expect.

She looked around at what almost looked like a temple, her eyes wide with awe. Dale was right, the place sure looked rundown, but it was still beautiful. Towards the back of the spring was a barren tree, depressingly standing in contrast to the otherwise bright shrine. It was not the tree that caught Molly's attention though, but the being standing before it. Her burgundy eyes went wide as Finn darted forward, her breath coming out in a short gasp…

**A/N: Gasp! Well... that's it for now. I definitely plan on continuing this, regardless of popularity, but reviews will definitely help crank out the tedious chapters a bit quicker. Please be gentle. o~o**


	2. How to Save a Life

**A/N: So… I had this done about a week ago. v.v It didn't upload when I asked it to, so my bad. D: I forgot to mention that, although I'm going off the general story line for Animal Parade, I'm going to be changing a lot to fit my own plot line. :)**

***I don't own Harvest Moon or its characters.**

Standing before Molly was a stunning vision; with her back turned to the young girl, a beautiful woman was staring up at the tree. Her hair sprouted green, though faded into a pleasant blue down around her waist, with beautiful shades in between. A lovely gown comprised of these same, but faded, colors wrapped around her thin, but curvy features, leaving lengths of delicate skin uncovered.

She turned on the spot, her gown twirling gracefully around her ankles; large aquamarine eyes stared into Molly's with intense focus, as if she were staring through her. Deftly, she caught the sprite who had darted towards her, cradling him close to her chest without ever taking her eyes off of Molly, "I have been waiting for you, my child."

Molly blinked, suddenly at a loss for words; it was one thing, having Fin tell her that the Goddess needed help, but to actually hear the Goddess speak to her? To say that she waited for her specifically? It was awe inspiring for the young rancher. Molly swallowed her sudden fear and forced a cocky grin, "Well, here I am! Now, what can I do to help out?"

The Harvest Goddess smiled in quiet amusement at the Molly's outward confidence, though the brunette was sure the magical being could sense her uneasiness. The Goddess continued in her distinctly musical voice, "I'm sure that Fin has explained the general situation; my tree is dying, and so too is the land around it. Through the power of five magical bells, I believe that you can return the land to its youth, as well as restore my tree."  
"I can… I can do that," Molly nodded, earning a hardy cheer from the little Fin. She frowned and continued, rubbing the back of her head rather awkwardly, "But, uh… why me? There's not anything really special about me."

The Goddess smiled softly and relinquished Fin back to the girl, brushing a lock of blue-green hair back behind her ear, "Very few beings, magical or mortal, can help my sprites ring their bells. What you see makes you special," She murmured soothingly, gesturing to the little sprite, "Your heart is warm and pure enough to see my sprites, and you alone hold the power to restore the land."

"So…" Molly muttered thoughtfully, tilting her head as Fin settled on her shoulder, "I'm the _only_ one here who can see Fin?" She frowned; although it made her feel special, being able to see the sprite, she suddenly felt very lonely, and very much so powerless.

"Not exactly, my dear," The Goddess shook her head and smiled a bit brighter, "You will be the only mortal to, however, this land isn't inhabited by only mortals. There are beings here who will be able to see Fin, and help with your quest," She paused and rolled her eyes, "though you might have to persuade them."

Molly tilted her head the opposite direction at the mention of other magical beings, curious now as to what sorts of creatures lived on this land. This, however, wasn't all the important, given her newest duties; Molly grinned and patted Fin on the head, chuckling with renewed confidence, "I'll do all that I can to help. Heh… I'm glad that I have a bit of help, though."

"As am I," The Goddess cooed, her expression soft and caring, "I must bid you farewell for now, though, young Molly. My strength is waning, and I must conserve the energy I have. If you are in need of my assistance, though, I shall always be available to help." Without waiting for Molly or Fin to reply, the Goddess vanished, her image lingering a few seconds before evaporating into the air.

"Heh… Bye, I guess," Molly spoke to the wind, ignoring Fin's upset sputterings; the little thing really did love the Goddess. She sighed and swept her auburn hair back, stretching her arms, "Well, Fin… Let's go visit, Cain! He said he'd have something for us, after all."

Fin babbled on about the broken bridge, but Molly paid no mind, already braced for a possibly angry reaction from Bo. She smirked as she strode from the pond, waving to Dale as she passed in front of his shop. She turned around, carefully striding backwards as she looked further down the mining district; the people were beginning to wake up now, giving the small district a livelier appearance. She honestly couldn't wait to get back up here. Turning back around, the young girl broke into a sprint, earning a squeal from Fin as he held on for dear life.

"Oi, Bo!" She bellowed as she neared the bridge, earning the attention of the sandy-blond haired boy. With sure footing, she leaped to the air, whooping joyously as the distance closed beneath her. She landed, this time, on the opposite side, stumbling a bit, but not falling as Bo caught her in his arms.

"Never. Again." The boy narrowed his eyes, looking a tiny bit intimidating as Molly laughed loudly. His glower didn't last very long; Molly's cheer definitely seemed to be infectious! He rolled his eyes and mumbled, "I don't want ya to get hurt, Molly. Until the Mayor returns my tools, there's only so much I can do to fix the bridge, and you can't cross again."

"Pft, alright," Molly responded, waving the boy's stern warning off as if it was just a casual suggestion. "How about this? I'll run into town and get your tools for you and grab you a bite to eat for jumping across. That way you can do what ya can to fix it faster!" Molly grinned and waved off his response, not really paying attention to whatever objection he had; instead, she started down the mountain pass, humming cheerfully as she looked over the beautiful country setting. If she looked hard enough, she could even see the small city and port from here!

As she approached her farm, Molly quickly ducked inside to grab her coat, hoping that the chilly early spring air didn't hold up much longer; Molly really… really didn't like the cold. She wrapped the jacket around her shoulders and trotted down to the southern edge of her farm; Fin clung to her arm like a child. She rolled her eyes and took the eastern road towards Flute fields, checking in her wallet to see what she had; after all, she needed to set up a good seed base to keep her going!

As she crossed the bridge over the deep canyon, something made her stop; Molly didn't know what it was, but something told her that she needed to be here. After a moment of frustration, she leaned against the wall of the bridge, staring down as she tried to figure out her sense of unease.

"Molly!" Fin squealed, pulling o her ear, "Look down there, Molly!" Fin was frantically pointing down into the shallow, rocky waters below, making Molly's ears ring with all of his shrill yelling.

Molly screwed her eyes shut until the ringing subsided, and then leaned over the wall. She scrunched up her eyes and stared down into the water, "Fin… I don't see anyth- Oh god!" There, frantically trying to climb from the rushing waters, appeared to be a small animal; a goat… or maybe a foal.  
Molly raced across the bridge and down past the water mill, leaping over a small rabbit as she sprinted. A young, silver haired man stared bewildered as she splashed into the water, scaring away the fish that had been nibbling on his line. His brow furrowed as he shouted, "Hey! Watch it!"

"S-Sorry!" Molly hurriedly apologized as she waded through the waist deep water, trying to get to the rocky banks on the other side of the mill. The man, possibly sensing her distress, followed after her, more sure-footed in the water than she. An arm came around Molly's waist as the man pushed her forward without a word.

Molly scrambled onto the dry river banks and immediately got to her feet, shoes dislocating small rocks as she sprinted towards the crying creature. She slipped; with a sharp gasp, she felt the rocks slice her palms. She cringed and bit her lip against the sharp pain, her need to save the animal overwhelming any other instinct. She got back to her feet as the silver haired man caught up to her, and ran to the animal's side.

It was a tiny grey foal, crying endlessly as it tried to pull itself onto the dry land. Quickly glancing over him, Molly noticed his twisted and mangled back leg, clearly the reason it couldn't get back to its feet. She heard the man behind her gasp.

Up at the top of the canyon, just before the bridge, came a high pitched, childish voice, "Toby! Watchu doin' down there?! You know it's dangerous!" Molly glanced up at the cold, blue eyed gaze of a small blond child. The boy put his hands on his hips and glowered.

"Taylor," Called the man behind her, Toby presumably, "you listen to me real good, kiddo. I need you to go down to the ranch and get Mister Cain or Miss Hanna, okay? Go!" The silver haired man spoke calmly, though a sense of urgency was still very evident in his voice. The boy blinked a few times before nodding and darting off. Toby kneeled behind Molly and spoke softly to her, "Be careful, miss. Wild animals can be very dangerous when they're hurt."

Molly frowned; she knew that this was true, but looking into the foal's eyes, she could tell that he only wanted to be saved. She pulled the jacket from her arms, slowly reaching out to lay it across the creature's soaked and shivering flank. His small, terrified whinny shattered her heart; what had happened to this little guy? She frowned suddenly and reached to touch his ear, which he was obviously once tagged, as if he belonged to a farm.

Behind her was the sudden splashing of two grown adults, shouting at each other as they ran towards them. Glancing up to suppress her tears, Molly noticed that Taylor was back at the edge of the canyon, looking down curiously.

"Toby! What's going on he-" Cain's gruff voice cut off as he noticed the crippled foal, his face immediately going cold and collected, "Hanna, I need my bag," He shouted back to the short woman who was tottering after him. She quickly sprinted forward, swinging a large white back forward; Cain grabbed a hold of it and immediately squatted beside Molly.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Molly whispered, frowning as she watch Cain assess the foal's wounds. She didn't know much about horses, but she knew that a broken leg was much more serious in horses than humans. She bit her lip as Cain silently worked, sedating the horse first before pulling him from the river; he was definitely stronger than Molly thought.

"I'll do what I can, Molly," He assured her as he straightened and wrapped up the twisted leg, checking for other obvious breaks. Although Molly knew that he was a competent man, she still worried for the foal; she had already decided that, if the little thing pulled through, she would beg Cain to let her buy him.

Mentally calculating the cost of a horse and his care, she went through a list of crops, and what she would have to plant in order to afford him without having to worry too much. She stood when Cain did, wanting to help as much as she could; although the foal was small and light, they still had to wade through the water, after all.

She cradled the foal's head in her arms, earning a sad smile from the rancher as they, and Toby, slowly made their way back to the shallow banks of the water mill. Hanna, having run back to the ranch to fetch the cart, was already waiting for them as they stepped back onto dry land. The pair hoisted the colt into the cart, snapping the back barrier up to make sure he wouldn't slip out.

Molly turned and waved quickly to Toby and Taylor, before jumping onto the back hitch of the cart, not wanting to part with the young creature until she was sure that he was safe; Cain noticed the girl and smiled slightly jumping into the front and giving the reins a sharp snap to get the old mare moving. The ride back to the ranch was a short one; Molly spent the two minute trip watching the foal, a hand resting on his flank just to feel him breathing.

Arriving at the small ranch, a young woman came running up to the cart as it came to a halt; Short brown hair was cast in disarray as she clambered over the side of the cart, wide eyes staring down at the horse with intense concern. She ran her hands across the horse's muzzle before speaking almost frantically, "Dad, he needs to be put inside and warmed up right now if he's gonna survive. Ain't no way he can make it through a break and hypothermia…"

"I know, darlin'. Don't you worry, we'll take care of getting him dry," Cain responded calmly as he led the mare and cart towards the barn doors, which Hanna had scurried over to open. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded towards the young woman, "Why don't you take Molly to the shop, Renee. I got a few things for her, but I need to take care of this little guy."

The woman, Renee, sighed but nodded, gesturing for Molly to follow after, "C'mon now, Molly. Dad has a few surprises for you," She smiled back at Molly, though she shot an obviously worried glance at the barn, "I'm Renee. I work here with my mom and dad, so if you ever need any help with animals, I'm your go-to-gal!"

Molly grinned as she was led into the small shop house, which was strewn with hay and bird feed, and even a few chicks, "Of course. I plan to have a few animals once I get things settled back home." She blinked and looked around confusedly; for a shop, it sure looked a bit cluttered.

Renee must have noticed, for she shrugged and snickered, "The chicken coop is under renovations, so we keeping a few of the more rambunctious chicks in here. The rest are in the windmill, but we didn't want any daredevils jumping from the top." Renee grinned as Molly scuttled over to a small brown calf, giggling and petting it's head affectionately, "Oh, and she's yours."

Molly paused and glanced up in confusion, her head tilting, "But… I don't have the money to purchase a calf right now… Or buy her any food or supplies. I was planning on planting some more crops and raising the money to buy one around mid-spring…" She frowned and patted the calf, loving the gentle moo the baby made.

"Well, dad decided we could part with her for free as a bit of a welcome gift," Renee smiled warmly as she ducked behind the counter, rummaging in the storage bins, "And I can give you a bit of help with food," She chuckled as she popped back up, arms laden with fodder, wrapped up in a white blanket, "This is good enough for about two weeks. You can buy more food then, or talk to Ruth down the road for some grass seeds. She'll need a little while to grow up, but if you treat her right, she'll pay for her own meals until you've got a sure-foot for funds."

Molly smiled softly as she messed with the oddly thick fur atop the calf's head, glancing up to Renee with tears in her eyes, "Thank you… Make sure you tell Cain and Hanna as well. I knew that I had a lot of work to do when I bought the farm, but I didn't expect this much help from people I barely knew… I really appreciate it."

"Pft. You can thank me by changing that," Renee laughed, leaning back on her heels, "If you ever have some free time, I can take you into town to meet everyone!" She rocked back forward and tilted her head, watching Molly smother the happy calf in gentle affection, "I can already tell that she's gonna love being with you. She does need a name though."

Molly hummed softly as she stared into the cow's chocolate eyes, grinning as she let out a long, gentle moo. She ran a hand through the cow's 'hair', which was really just a thick tuft of fur atop her head. With a sudden grin, Molly nodded and stated firmly, "Bean."

**A/N: So there's that! I'm quite certain I'll be introducing the Wizard in next chapter… Maybe! I'm already I the process of writing, so ya'll will find out soon enough! I still love reviews though. :) They make me smile!**


	3. A Little Coffee Bean

**A/N: Ugh. Sorry for taking so long to update. Too many things have been going on and I put the story on the backburner! I don't think it'll happen again, though, so don't kill me.**

**Blahblahblah, don't own Harvest Moon, blahblahblah, sadface**

Renee blinked a few times, brow arched as she stared at the young farmer and her new calf. Molly simply grinned, alternating between scratching the calf's ears and nuzzling her face as Renee took in the odd name. Gathering her voice once more, Renee asked curiously, "Bean? That's an odd name for a cow, Molly. It's not a bad thing, I mean, it's just odd."

Molly shrugged and looked up at the petite brunette, beaming brightly as she massaged Bean's ears gently, "Look at her fur, though! It's the warmest of dark browns, almost black. Like a rich cup of coffee! Coffee is my favorite drink, and I'm sure her milk will make it even better!" She laughed and rubbed the top of Bean's head, "She's my little coffee bean!"

Renee nodded quietly as she seemed to mull the idea over. Molly knew that she had an odd way of thinking, and the names of her pets were usually something rather absurd, but she thought that Bean fit the little calf perfectly. Renee must have thought so too, because it wasn't long before she was grinning along with Molly, laughing softly.

"Well… that's actually rather adorable," She laughed, shaking her head. It was then that she glanced out of the window and sighed, "It's getting late. I have to go meet Kathy out at the stables at five." She chewed on her lip nervously, as if not wanting to appear rude.

"Hey, if your friend is gonna be here soon, I'll get out of your hair. I have to get Bean settled into her new home, anyway." Molly smiled softly, then groaned, "And get Bo's toolbox from town. Maybe I really should be leaving now. I won't be able to get back to the mining district until he gets that box."

"The Mayor should have the toolbox! Don't even know why the old man would want to borrow it, though," Renee tilted her head, brow arched, "Shouldn't take you more than a couple hours to get to town and back to Bo. If you want, I can drop off your feed and supplies in a few hours. I'll even feed Bean so you don't have to stay up too late! It's no problem, really!"

Molly sighed softly and smiled, grateful for Renee's extreme helpfulness, "That would be heavenly, Renee. It's been a tiring day, so I'm not sure how much I have left in me." She chuckled, earning a sad smile from Renee, "Well, I'll let you go now. Thank you, Renee. For everything."

After a few more short goodbyes, Molly led the small calf out of the shop, throwing a glance towards the stables; a tall blonde woman was leaned up against the side, peering in through the window. Perhaps that was Kathy, she thought, though her mind quickly drifted to the grey foal. She hoped the little thing would be alright.

Bean obediently followed Molly down the old dirt pathway, mooing softly whenever she was spoken to. Molly grinned back at her calf, glad to see that she had already taken a liking to her. Her smiled faded a bit, however, as she reached her own farmland; the barn wasn't in the best of conditions, and it was by no means good enough for her precious calf. With all the patchy sections, she knew she'd have to get it fixed before winter. Until then, however, it would have to do.

Bean mooed loudly as she trotted into the old barn, immediately going to investigate her surroundings. She picked a section of the feeding trough near the back of the barn and laid down. Molly smiled and cooed to her calf lovingly, "You're home, little Bean. I hope you like it here. Renee will be by shortly, but for now, I have to go. I'll be back soon, though!"

Molly skipped from the barn, slowly sliding the door shut and cringing as it scraped and squeaked rather loudly. That would be incredibly annoying in the morning hours. Maybe Bean would like to sleep in the pasture on nice nights; anything to avoid that sound.

She yawned sleepily as she trudged down the path to the town, absent mindedly glancing out at the beaches on the lower section of pathway. Sometime, she thought, she would have to take a day to spend at the beach; not anytime soon, of course. She definitely had a lot to do, for now.

Crossing the bridge into Harmonica town, Molly smiled and looked around; although she knew that the island was dying, and that the town was suffering because of it, it still looked like a gorgeous place to live, and even raise a family. Molly groaned at her own thoughts and trudged towards that building labeled "Town Hall."

Knocking, she immediately stepped inside, grateful for the warmth of the indoors. The short, plump Mayor Hamilton cheered and waddled over to shake Molly's hand. He laughed childishly and peered up at her, "Welcome to Harmonica Town, Molly. I'm sure you've settled into your farm by now?" He paused, but as soon as Molly opened her mouth to answer, he pressed on, "Well, of course you have! You're a strong young woman, so you'll have that place running in no time. Now, I'm sure you didn't come all the way out here just to chat. What can I help you with, dear?"

Molly blinked, making sure the chatty little man was actually done speaking before answering him, "The bridge to the mining district is out, and I told Bo that I'd go get his toolbox from you so he can finish repairing it. Do you still have it, Mayor?"

"Er.." he replied slowly, looking around, "I do, somewhere. Tell ya what, you go out to town, maybe meet a few people or get something to eat, and I'll look for it for ya!" The Mayor nodded and cheered, urging Molly out without further question.

As the door slammed shut behind her, Molly sighed; he was nice, true, but the Mayor would definitely play on her nerves sometimes. Still, maybe getting to know a few people was a good idea; it would get lonely real fast without very many friends. And, of course, she was starving!

As Molly stood just outside the town hall, a short, grey haired old woman strode right up to her, a smile plastered on her wrinkled face. Adjusting the pink bandana on her head, the woman reached out for Molly's hand, "You must be the new farmer that Hamilton has been going on about. My name is Shelly, and I run a clothing shop here in town with my granddaughter Cand-" She looked around and then shouted softly, "Candace, you get over here! She won't bite you. This is Candace," She explained, gesturing to a blue haired girl, who blushed and waved to Molly, "She's rather shy, so you'll have to be slow with her. If you need anything to keep you warm, or just want to change things up, you come right on down to us!"

As soon as she came, the woman hustled off, disappearing into a small pink building. Candace, however, lingered, clinging to a lightpole, "Good luck," she whispered, hiding her face behind the metal.

Molly watched her for a few moments before grinning broadly, "Thank you, Candace. I'm sure that I'll need it," She laughed and rolled her eyes, bouncing on her toes triumphantly as the small woman let go of the pole, "Do you know any place to get some good food around here? I'm starved."

"S-Sure," Candace answered in a small voice, smiling as she reached timidly for Molly's hand, "The Ocarina Inn isn't too far away. E-Everyone there has been anxious to meet you. C'mon. I'll take you there."

Molly smiled as the blue haired girl towed her up the street, happily noticing how quickly the girl came out of her shell. It was actually kind of adorable, how timid she was, but Molly was sure that it was more of a hassle for the poor girl than anything else.

Having drifted off, Molly was unprepared for a sudden, forceful hug from a peach haired girl. She stumbled back smacking against the railing as she regained her balance, noting downheartedly that Candace had scurried backwards.

"Maya! Get off of her," Yelled a femine voice sternly, though Molly couldn't see where it came from.

"Oh, haha, sorry," the girl bounced backwards, jumping up and down happily, "My name is Maya! I'm so happy to meet you, Molly!" Molly blinked and nodded softly, looking up at the rest of the people gathered outside of the Inn.

"I'm sorry about Maya, Molly. She can get a bit excited," said the light haired woman at the foot of the steps, "My name is Colleen, this is my husband Jake," She gestured to a kind- looking, grey haired man who smiled and shook her hand, "And my mother-in-law, Yolanda," this time, a short, pink-haired older lady stepped forward to grasp her hand, "We run the Ocarina Inn, along with Chase, who's currently in the kitchen. If you ever want to eat out, we'd be honored to have you here."

"It's great to meet all of you, really." Molly smiled and swept her hair out of her face, overwhelmed by the amount of new people, "It's really awesome to see how welcoming everyone is. It makes me feel right at ho-" her stomach interrupted her loudly, causing her to blush and apologize.

A plate appeared before her face, carrying the most appetizing slice of strawberry pie that she had ever smelled. As she glanced up, she came face to face with a face, caked with flour and a soft smile. Purple eyes gazed into her own as the peach haired boy greeted her softly, "Homemade strawberry pie, on the house for our newest neighbor."

Molly blushed happily and accepted the pie, biting her lip as she stared down at it hungrily. She nearly leaped out of her skin as the Mayor cheered from behind her, swinging a toolbox in his stubby arms, "Molly! Molly, I found it! You better hurry and get this to Bo!" Hamilton immediately tried to hurry her along, causing the purpled eyed boy to scowl.

Rolling his eyes, knowing the Mayor wouldn't be reasoned with, the boy ducked into the Inn, only to appear moments later with a carton of milk, "Molly," he called, getting her attention. He lobbed the milk to her, and, surprisingly enough, she caught it without spilling the pie or dumping the toolbox, "Give that to Bo, won't you?" He smiled and made to follow the rest of the group, Hamilton included, back into the Inn, but turned at the last moment, "My name is Chase, by the way. Stop by to see me sometime."

Finally alone, Molly sighed. She knew that she had to get the toolbox up to Bo, but the pie smelled so delicious. Shaking her head, Molly headed up the path towards what looked like a church. Perhaps she'd enjoy her pie while gazing at the stars!

She plopped down on a patch of grass in front of the church, setting the toolbox and milk carton aside. She stretched out her legs and dug into the pie, moaning softly at the warm, sweet flavor. Boy, Chase could cook! Maybe she could convince him to make all of her meals.

Something small brushed against her leg, causing her to shriek softly; the little black cat that had cozied up to her immediately jumped back, ears back and tail poofed up. Molly gasped and cooed softly, "I'm sorry, little guy. You scared me. I didn't mean to scare you back," she reached her hand out, earning a hiss from that cat before he darted off, "Oh.."

"His moods are… fickle. Do not be… offended," a deep, slow voice murmured softly from somewhere on the grounds. Molly jumped and searched around for a moment before locating the source at the edge of the cliff, beside the stairs to the graveyard, "I did not… mean… to startle you."

"No, no. It's okay!" Molly laughed, trying to get a better view of the man, "It's been a really long day, so I'm exhausted and kinda jumpy! Haha! My name is Molly!"

From the shadows, he walked slowly, coming into the pale light of the street lamps. Molly gasped at his appearance: Light chocolate skin, ashy grey hair, and the most mysterious clothes a man could possibly wear, "I am… aware. The villagers to not… stop talking… ever. You are out very… late," he noted slowly, he sentences choppy, but interestingly so.

"Oh… well, yeah. I was meaning to get something to eat and then go for a last errand before turning in, but the stars are so pretty, that I think I might stay out here a bit longer!" She smiled warmly and tilted her head, "Would you like to join me?"

"I am… busy. Excuse me," He said shortly before sweeping from the church grounds, leaving Molly to worry if she had offended him or not. She certainly hoped not.

"Molly, are you okay?" She jumped at the high pitched voice of Fin. He was completely silent all day, that she had almost forgotten that he even existed! "Wow, Molly," he giggled, "Maybe you should go to be before you get scared to death!"

"Yeah yeah, munchkin. You're so small that I couldn't see you," she teased and she collected her things off the ground, earning a squeal from the little sprite. They bickered playfully all the way up to the bridge; of course they quieted down long enough to give Bo his things without arousing suspicion, but immediately picked up again on the way back home.

"Y'know, Fin, I think I'm going to like it here," Molly sighed as she shut the door to her run-down house, kicking off her shoes, "Sure, it'll take a lot of work, but I really like it here already. After we help your buddies ring their bells, I think this'll be the perfect place to live," She nodded at her own statement as she tucked herself under her dusty blanket on her bed. It didn't take long before she drifted into sleep, Fin curled up on the pillow beside her.

She had another busy day ahead of her tomorrow.

**A/N: Well, there ya go. I feel like it was a bit … crowded, but I like it. She's a busy lass, after all! Read and review, yes? I love hearing your opinions!**


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